Air compressor



May 20,

w. w7 HALE AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Aug. 25. 192D 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 La l N1 With/woo May 20, 1924.

W. W. HALE AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Aug. 25, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 "May 20, 1924. v

' W.' W. HALE AIR` COMPRESSOR Filed Aug. 25, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 2o, 1-924.

w. w4 HALE AIR COMPRESSOR 1920' 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Agg.v 25

May 20, 1924.

`AIR COMPRESSOR Fi 1ed Aug. 25. 1920 5 sheets-she-et 5 Patented May 20, 1924.

UNITED STATESI PATENT oFFl-cE. A

wILLrs W. HALE, or CLEVELAND, oHIo.

vAIE COMPRESSOR. L

Application led August'25, 1920. Serial No. 405,871.

the compressed Huid can be easily and quickly obtained with the expenditure of a mini'- mum amount of power for driving the compressor.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a two stage compressor of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be readily assembled or taken apart, and which Vrequires a minimum amount'of power for its operation.

With these and otherobjects in view the invention consists in certain combinations, arrangements and yassociations of the parts, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in

Figure l is a side elevation of a'two stage air compressor which is'constructed in accordance with the invention. Y

Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof, portions being Abroken away and shown in sec- I. tion to illustrate more yclearly the details of construction.

2 Flgure 3 1s an end' view of the compressor. Figurev 44 1s a vertical longitudinal sec- "tional View, showing the two compression chambers and the arrangement of the valves.`

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5-`5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detached perspective view of the reciprocating part of the compressor and the fixed inner piston, the latter being detachedv from the stem upon which it is mounted.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are detail views of the p Y the standard, and the tubularopeningof.

valves. f l I Corresponding and like parts are referre'd.v to in the following description and indicated in all of the views of the drawings by like reference characters; c

Referring to the drawings, which Villustrate one possible embodiment lof `the invention, the numeral l designates the outer cylinder which is horizontally disposed and provided with a foot portion 2 which is Vrigidly secured by suitable fastening members such as the bolts'3 -to the basef'. The rear endv of the cylinder -is closedby a cylinder 'head' 5, and the sides ofthecylinder are formed with the corresponding longitudinallyyextending guide slots 6.

A hollow piston 7 is mounted to reciprocate within the cylinder 1said hollow piston -being in reality a combined piston and cylinder, since the exterior thereof operates Vas a piston within the outer cylindervl, while' the hollow interior 8 of the member 7 receives a fixed piston member 9and in effect constitutes a cylinder for the said fixed piston. The forward'end ofthe combined piston and cylinder 7 is provided with the usu'a'l piston rings -10 which enable 'a tight fit to be obtained within thefixed cylinder 1, and crosshead blocks 11 are detachably secured to opposite sides of the member 7 by suitable fastening means such as the screws 12, said blocks being slidably received within "the longitudinal slots 6 ofthe cylinder 1.A Studs 13 project from the blocks 11 and have the ends thereof removably threaded within the f' blocks, suitable set screws 14 being provided to prevent the studs from working loose. The outer periphery of the member k7, as shown more clearly by Figures V5 and 6' may be formed vwith a series of depressions 15 f which are arranged in such a manner that they decrease thel weight of the member without detracting in any manner-from the strength and efficiency thereof. n

`The fixed piston 9 operates within the hollow interior of thereciprocating member 7, and is provided with the usual piston rings 16. This xed p-iston is carried by a.

tubular stem 17, being indicatedupon the drawings as havinga threaded connectio-n'- l 18 with the said stem. This stem pro-jects laterally from a standard 19 which is arranged at the open end of the fixedcylinder 1 and rigidly secured by the bolts 20 to the' base 4. The stem 17 is indicatedv as threaded into a depression 21 formed in one side of the stem communicates with' a passage22 provided for connection with a pipe leading to the tank or reservoir within which the compressed air is to be stored.

The head 5 of the fixed cylinder 1 is provided with an air inlet which is controlled by an inwardly opening check valve 24 such as' that which is shown in detail `by Figure 7. A spring which surrounds the tubular valve stem bears against a nut 26 and normally holds the valve in a closed position. However, the suction o-f the piston will open the valve during the outward portion of the piston stroke, and air will then flow through the tubular valve stem and the lateral outlets 27 rprovided at the base of the valve. The closed end of the combined piston cylinder member 7 isprovided with a suitable inwardly opening check valve 28, such as that illustrated by Figure 8. The valve 2,8 is normally held upon its seat by the spring 29, although it will open inwardly to vpermit the passage of air from the fixed cylinder l into the interior of the combined pist0n cylinder 7. rlvhe fixed piston 9 is likewise provided with a suitable inwardly opening check valve 30 vsuch as that. illustrated by Figure 9. A spring 31 normally holds thev valve in a closed position, although the .valve willopen inwardlyto permit the passage of CII nalled in a bearing 35.

the compressed iiuid from.. the interior of the `combined piston .cylinder member 7 to the tubular stem 17 this being the out-let from the compressor.

The standard 19 is provided with bearings 32 which'receive aV double crank shaft 33. One `of the crank portions of this shaft is arranged vupon each side of the compressor, and these crank portions are connected by the pitmen-3i to the before-mentioned studs 13 of the crosshead blocks 11. 7With this construction it will be obvious that when the crank-shaft is driven the combined piston cylinder member 7 will-be reciprocated back and forth within the outer cylinder 1,

'and the double cross -head and pitmen arrangement provides for a smooth even movement of the member without any binding or lost motion. Thecrank shaft 33` is extended at one sideof the standard V19 and jour- This extended end ofthe crankshaft as shown is provided with a l`gear wheel 36 which is surrounded Vby a suitable guard member 37 and which meshes with a pinion 38 on the shaft on an. electric motor 39. This is merely illustrative of one out of many manners in which the compressor may be driven. An oil cup Ll() is applied to the top ofthe cylinder 1 and arranged to supply lubricant to the` reciprocating member 7 as it is required. The youtlet hose or pipe which leads from the compressorto the reservoir will be attached to the fitting-23 at ther top of the srtandard 19. y

In the operation of the device it will be obvious that when the electric motor 39 is caused to operate the crank shaft 33 will be rotated and the reciprocating member 7 moved back and forth Within the cylinder 1. Upon the outstroke of the member 7 air will be drawn into the cylinder 1 through the check valve 2li. Upon the instroke of the member 7 this air will be initially compressed between the member 7 and thecylinder head 5. The initial compression of the air will force it through the check valve 27 into the interior of the combined piston cylinder member 7. It will be seen by lreference to the drawings that the interior of the member 7 is much smaller than l'the interior of the cylinder 1, and that theair will accordingly be considerably compressed as it is forced into the interior of the member 7. Upon the next outstroke of the member 7 a fresh supply of air will be drawn `into the cylinder l, and the initially comclosed end of the said member 7 and the Y fixed piston 9. This further and final compression of the air forces it through the check valve 30 into the tubular opening loi' the stem 17, and this compressed air is conveyed through a suitable pipe or conduit to the reservoir in which the airis being stored. lt will thus be obvious that the air. is compressed by stages, the first stage or initial compression taking place in the cylinder 1, Awhile the second stage or final compression takes place in the interior of the reciprocating member 7. Both the in and outy strokes of the reciprocating member 7 are compression strokes, and the compressor thus offers a comparatively uniform resistance to the motor or drive, means, with the result that the mechanism operates with a smooth, even action and a minimum amount of power is required to drive the same. For thepurposeof supplying lubricant to the interior of the reciprocating member 7 vthisy member is provided with an opening 7? whichat certain times is brought under the opening of the oil cup 10 so that the lubricant willbe supplied to both the interior and the eX-' terior of the hollow reciprocating member 7.

lfhile one possible embodiment `-of the Acompressor has been illustrated and described in detail, it will be understood that numerous modifications and. changesv can be made in the details of construction without rdeparting in any manner from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the I claim as new/and desire tosecure byLetters Patent is l 1. A multiple stage compressor including a fixed cylinder provided withV a valvecontrolled inlet and :having guideslots in they sides thereof, a hollow piston mounted to reciprocate within the fixed cylinder and llO invention, what provided with a valve controlled passage, blocks projecting from the hollow piston and received within the before-mentioned slots, a fixed piston arranged to fit within the hollow piston and provided with a valve controlled outlet, the initial compression taking place within the fixed cylinder While the final compression takes place within the hollovs7 piston, a standard supporting the fixed piston, a crank shaft journalled upon the standard, and an operative connection between the crank shaft and the hollow7 piston.

2. A multiple stage compressor, including a fixed cylinder having slots in the sides thereof, a hollow iston mounted to reciprocate within the xed cylinder7 blocks proj ecting from the sides of a hollow piston and received within the slots of the fixed cylinder, a fixed piston arranged to project within the hollow piston, the initial compression taking place within the fixed cylinder and the final compression taking place within the hollow piston, valve controlled ports being provided to permit of the passage of the Huid through the elements of the compressor in one direction, a standard supporting the fixed piston, a double crank shaft journalled upon the standard, pivot studs projecting from the blocks of the hollow piston and pitmen connecting the said pivot studs to the crank portions of the shaft.

3. A multiple stage compressor, including a base, a fixed cylinder arranged longitudinally upon the base and having slots in the sides thereof, a hollow piston mounted to reciprocate within the fixed cylinder, blocks projecting from the sides of the hollow pis-` ton and received within the slots of the fixed cylinder, a standard projecting from the base at one end of the iixed cylinder, a tubular stem carried by the standard and extending longitudinally into the fixed cylinder, a fixed piston mounted upon the tubular stem and operating within the hollow piston, a double crank shaft jonrnalled upon the standard, pitmen connecting the crank .shaft to the blocks at opposite sides of the hollow piston, and means for applying power to the crank shaft, the initial compression taking place within the fixed cylinder, and the final compression taking place within the hollow piston, valved controlled ports being provided to permit ofthe passage of the fluid through the elements ofthe compressor in one' direction.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIS W. HALE. 

